Making the most of your consulting client interviews (1/2)
Client interviews are integral to many types of Consulting projects. Done well, they build trust and spark insights. Assets that help deliver the overall conslting service. To achieve this, you need to consider the whole client experience.
At some point, every consultant will need to 'interview' or survey a client or stakeholder. Whether your project is badged as 'Strategy', 'Assurance', Customer Experience', 'Change Management' or 'Operating Model', this qualitative technique offers often untapped value.
Often, we see consultants focus solely on building the question set, and not enough time shaping the end-to-end experience for the interviewee. Given interviews are often the launchpad to build stakeholder trust as well as insights, this approach means the full potential of the interview is often unrealised.
Below are a few thoughts for an alternative approach.
It's an exchange.
The client interview should also serve the interviewee’s needs and wants. This isn’t just ‘answer the consultant’s question’.
People have goals and ‘jobs’ they want to achieve. They often want to know how their input will support those. Other times they want to affirm an idea or view against the consultant’s experience. Sometimes they just want to vent.
Thinking about their goal(s) and how it intersects with yours – will help you decide on the right questions, phrasing, and structure for the interview.
It's an experience.
A client stakeholder interview is an experience. A string of interactions the individual will have with the consultant(s) who want to interview them. These interactions start before the interview and often continue afterwards. i.e., You want the interviewee to make time to speak, to feel able to speak candidly, and at the end – to agree with you on what’s next.
Interactions can span different channels (e.g. email, call, in-person etc.) and involve multiple ‘steps’. Every interaction occurs in a context e.g., where is the interviewee located? what might they be thinking / feeling / doing ? In what way will they engage with the interview?
If you see the purpose as a space for both sides to learn from each other (i.e., exchange information that helps you both better frame their problems, and their opportunities) – thinking about it this way helps you better shape the interviewee’s experience.
It's a journey.
A solid consulting client interview typically involves 2-3 interactions with the stakeholder and several ‘below the glass’ tasks that should happen.
To gather enough qualitative data to analyse and extract credible insight, you usually interview 5+ client stakeholders. Over a 2-4 week interview/ discovery period (that will pass quickly)!
Being systematic in how you complete each must/should-do task will help you be more efficient and consistent in the experience you deliver. Our next post will expand more on what this journey should look like.
Conclusion.
An interview with a client/ stakeholder is a great way to spark ideas and insights.
For the client, it is an opportunity to reflect on the situation as they articulate it.
For the consultant, it is an opportunity to better grasp the context of your client's situation. To explore several questions that will help you land the best answer.